A Cal Poly graduate is among the 100 finalists of more than 200,000 applicants that were in the running to be one of the first humans to colonize the planet Mars.
They're part of the Mars One mission that's being organized by a private, non-profit out of the Netherlands.
Kay Radzik Warren, 54, graduated from Cal Poly's Architecture Department back in the mid-1990s. She says she hopes the mission succeeds and that she's part of it when it does.
"It's really nice to have the support of family and friends," said Radzik Warren, who realizes this is a one-way trip with little or no hope of ever returning to Earth.
Radzik Warren has roughly a one-in-four chance of being chosen as the group is narrowed further to 24 later this year. She believes many of the "learn by doing" skills she picked up during her years at Cal Poly have helped her make it this far through the process.
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The money needed for this undertaking is still in question, but one aspect of the funding model is based on televising the experience and selling the broadcasting rights. The organization is also working on partnerships, sponsorships and crowd funding.
Mars One says its timeline is in place to send up the first group of colonizers by 2024.